A major international espionage saga is unfolding across the United States. It's been hush-hush so far, largely because the implications could be a major embarrassment for the government. The spy story is even more touchy because it isn't Saddam, Fidel, Osama or even what passes nowadays for the KGB spying on America -- but our "friend" in the war against "evil," Israel. Creative Loafing last week obtained a copy of the 60-page Drug Enforcement Agency report that provides the basis of the allegations, and CL's John Sugg writes the story in his Fishwrapper column.
The city and Bay Area newspapers have reached an agreement that allows the city to install uniform modular newsracks. Newspapers, including SF Weekly, had sued in 1999, arguing that the original scheme violated their First Amendment rights. "The settlement, which the publishers reached with the city attorney last week, will give the newspaper companies a say in where the new city-controlled racks are installed and which newspapers get to use them," the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Through a series of e-mails from one Mr. Fantastic, Philadelphia City Paper's Howard Altman gets caught in both a web of espionage and an ethical morass. Mr. Fantastic says he can give Altman national security secrets about the layout of Site R, aka "Harry's Hole," in sleepy Waynesboro, Pa., one of the Bush administration's "shadow government" installations. Pretty soon the FBI is looking over Altman's and photographer Christina Felice's shoulders, and Pultizer Prize winner Seymour Hersch is growling "you are in way over your head on this, aren’t you?" Altman strings Mr. F along in cooperation with the FBI but can't quite agree to work with the men in black to sting him. Stay tuned.
